Tim Anderson, two-time All-Star, retires from MLB citing mental health

Tim Anderson, a two-time All-Star shortstop and former batting champion, announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Monday after 10 seasons, citing mental health struggles that made the sport difficult to continue, per ESPN. He was 33 years old at the time of the announcement.

Anderson spent eight of his 10 MLB seasons with the Chicago White Sox, where he emerged as one of the game's most productive hitters. He was selected to American League All-Star teams in 2021 and 2022 and won a Silver Slugger award in 2020. In 2019, Anderson hit .335 to lead the major leagues in batting average. He batted over .300 for four consecutive years with the White Sox, according to ESPN.

Anderson was the 17th overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft. He finished his career with a .276 batting average with 98 home runs, 350 RBIs and 122 stolen bases in 991 games across the White Sox, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels, per ESPN. His last MLB appearance came with the Angels last season, when he hit .205 in 31 games.

On the Zoom call with reporters, Anderson described the psychological weight that led to his decision: "Definitely a lot of dark moments. Got to a point where I couldn't enjoy it. ... I still love the game; it just brought too much pain for me. So going back to play is not for me right now in life." He did not elaborate on specific circumstances or organizational factors in the statement provided to reporters.

The White Sox announced they will honor Anderson before a game on September 17, per ESPN.